M5.2 Earthquake 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — February 17, 2021
2021-02-17 11:31:59 UTC (2021-02-17) · approx. 10:31 PM UTC+11 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On February 17, 2021 at 11:31 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -17.5618°, 167.8897°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Vanuatu, a region characterized by the New Hebrides subduction zone, where the Australian Plate subducts eastward at approximately 90 mm per year. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
167.8897°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Port-Vila, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on February 17, 2021 at 11:31 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -17.5618°, 167.8897°, which is 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Vanuatu had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Vanuatu was the M7.9 Vanuatu earthquake of October 7, 2009. Today's magnitude 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dicu). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 17, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — February 17, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dicu/